Tenova’s Commissioning for JW Aluminum’s New Hot Rolling Mill

Tenova, a leading company specialized in innovative solutions for the metals and mining industries, has successfully commissioned the Roll Grinding Machine and Roll Shop Equipment for the new Hot Rolling Mill for the expansion plant of JW Aluminum – a leading producer of flat rolled aluminum products – in Goose Creek, South Carolina (USA).

Pomini Tenova, the Tenova brand worldwide leader in production of roll grinders, was chosen by the American manufacturer in 2018 for the supply of a new fully automatic grinding machine for work rolls and back-up rolls, of a combined chocking-dechocking machine for work rolls and back-up rolls and for a chock tilter. All Equipment was designed to be used also with the rolls of the cold rolling lines already in operation at JW Aluminum.

Pomini’s equipment was designed with the aim of combining the highest accuracies and quality required by the aluminum industry with the flexibility required by the extended range of dimensions, surface requirements and materials of rolls to be taken care of. For this reason, the roll grinding machine features an advanced wheel load control system, for increased stability of roughness finishing along the roll barrel; the Pomini Continuous Profile Compensation system (CPC), for true and undisturbed in-process measurement and correction of roll profile during grinding; and the hydrostatic steady rests used for back-up rolls are equipped with a single hydrostatic pad set, which can be changed quickly and does not require roll alignment after a roll type change. The chock changer features two back-up roll stands with rotation system, for ease of chock insertion and extraction.

“The effective collaboration between Tenova and JW Aluminum has made possible to overcome the significant hurdles posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. By means of goodwill and cooperation, the installation and commissioning of the equipment have been carried out without compromising equipment performance and – most importantly – the safety of all personnel involved on site”, affirmed Livio Taccani, Pomini Tenova Commercial Director. “This success is a further confirmation of the high quality and performance of Pomini’s roll grinders in the aluminum field, as well as of the high design flexibility of our equipment”.

Source and photo: Tenova